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Make Raisins in the Oven

About: I'm a biologist interested in all things sciency. I love to figure out how things work and to make my own stuff, be it food, woodworking, electronics or sewing.
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This year we had more grapes in the greenhouse than we could eat. Making raisins is a great way to make grapes last.

As we live on the west coast of Norway, on about the same latitude as Anchorage, Alaska, sundrying really isn't an option. Good thing the oven can do the trick.

Step 1: What You'll Need

The ingredients lis is short for this one: Grapes

You also need:OvenBaking trayBaking paperWooden spoon or similarPatience

Step 2: Pluck and Wash

Pluck the grapes of the stems and give them a wash.

Spread them out on a baking tray covered with baking paper.

To speed up the drying process, you can use a sharp knife to puncture the grapes. If you are drying a lot of grapes, it might not be worth it.

Step 3: Dry

Put the tray or trays in the oven, and jam the oven door slightly open with a wooden spoon or similar. Turn the oven on at about 50 °C (120°F).You don't want to bake the grapes, just speed up the drying a bit.

This batch took about 30 hours to dry to the level I wanted. Drying times vary with different grapes and different ovens, so check on your grapes now and then to see how they are doing.

When you are happy with the consistency of you raisins, let them cool down and store them in an airtight container.

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Yes! I have been doing this for years in my home-built dehydrator, based on plans on a great 1970's book, DRY IT, YOU'LL LIKE IT. Here are a few additional tips based on my experience:

1. Should be obvious, but use seedless grapes. Seeded ones are for juice for jelly and syrup.

2. Moving air dries best. Consider making a simple wood frame with window screening, so the warm air can move by the grapes better. I use fiberglass screen, but metal should also work.

3. I wash the grapes while still in a bunch. Then (the tedious part), as you pluck them, give them a little squeeze so they separate from the stem completely, and pop open a little at the attachment point. This allows the moisture to leave. A tight grape takes forever to dry.

4. With your air moving better, you can use lower temperatures. My unit runs at 95-105 F (35-40 C). The book says lower temps retain more of the fruit's vitamins and other good things.

5. One of the best things about this is your choice of grapes. Typical "golden" raisins are from simple green grapes. When you use purple or red, you get nice bold flavors that are great in trail mix, and will have folks wondering why your baked goods taste so good.

6. Don't sweat if they aren't all exactly the same. Some will be really dry, others will be a little soft. When stored airtight, like a sealed plastic bag, they will equalize over time. Check in a few weeks to make sure they are dry enough to keep without spoiling.

7. Finally, when your screen has that sticky syrup left on it, just take it in the shower with you. By the time you're clean, it will be, too!